| Issue |
EPL
Volume 91, Number 6, September 2010
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Article Number | 68003 | |
| Number of page(s) | 5 | |
| Section | Interdisciplinary Physics and Related Areas of Science and Technology | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1209/0295-5075/91/68003 | |
| Published online | 13 October 2010 | |
Filament turnover stabilizes contractile cytoskeletal structures
Universität des Saarlandes, Theoretische Physik - 66041 Saarbrücken, Germany, EU
a
k.kruse@physik.uni-saarland.de
Received:
2
June
2010
Accepted:
9
September
2010
Vital cellular processes depend on contractile stresses generated by the actin cytoskeleton. Commonly, the turnover of actin filaments in the corresponding structures is large. We introduce a mesoscopic theoretical description of motor-filament systems that accounts for filament nucleation, growth, and disassembly. To analyze the dynamic equations, we introduce an expansion of the filament densities in terms of generalized Laguerre polynomials. We find that filament turnover significantly stabilizes contractile structures against rupture. Finally, we relate the mesoscopic description to a phenomenological theory of cytoskeletal dynamics.
PACS: 87.16.Ka – Filaments, microtubules, their networks, and supramolecular assemblies / 87.16.-b – Subcellular structure and processes / 87.15.rp – Polymerization
© EPLA, 2010
Current usage metrics show cumulative count of Article Views (full-text article views including HTML views, PDF and ePub downloads, according to the available data) and Abstracts Views on Vision4Press platform.
Data correspond to usage on the plateform after 2015. The current usage metrics is available 48-96 hours after online publication and is updated daily on week days.
Initial download of the metrics may take a while.